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Pakistan

Sunday, September 29, 2013

At first glance one might think the world IS at war! A brief look at the headlines over at VOA News brings a wealth of terror and fighting. Amazingly enough, while many people in this country feel we have our fingers in stirring the pot throughout the world........we don't!

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Suspected Boko Haram gunmen killed at least 40 students during an early morning attack on a post-secondary school dormitory in northeastern Nigeria.

Army spokesman Captain Eli Lazarus told VOA News that gunmen stormed the School of Agriculture in Yobe State early Sunday firing on students as they slept.

At least 18 students are being treated for injuries at a hospital in the state capital of Damataru. The school is located in Gubja, a rural area some 50 kilometers away.

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A Syrian rights group says a government air raid has struck a high school in a rebel-held northern town, killing at least 12 people, most of them students.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the death toll from Sunday's air strike on the school in Raqqa is likely to rise because some people were critically wounded.

Syrian government warplanes have repeatedly attacked Raqqa since rebels took control of the provincial capital in March.

The Observatory also said rebels killed at least 19 government fighters in an overnight assault on the Qalamoun area on the outskirts of Damascus.

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Several car bombs have exploded in northern Iraq's usually peaceful Kurdish autonomous region, triggering a deadly gun battle between security forces and militants.

Authorities said at least two car bombs were involved in Sunday's attack near the Interior Ministry of Iraqi Kurdistan in the provincial capital of Irbil. Provincial Governor Nawzad Hadi told VOA security forces shot and killed four assailants, while another person was killed in the incident.

It was the first major bomb attack in Iraqi Kurdistan in at least six years. Hadi said it had the "finger prints" of al-Qaida. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

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A massive car bomb explosion in Pakistan has killed at least 37 people, including women and children, and wounded at least 75 others. This is the third deadly bombing in a week to occur in the northwestern city of Peshawar, killing a total of more than 140 people.

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Story by Staff Sgt. JaJuan Broadnax CJSOTF-AFG KUNDUZ PROVINCE, Afghanistan-The 5th Special Operation Kandak’s 1st Company conducted a clearance operation after increased enemy activity in and around the district’s Nowabad village.

Two local residents were injured the previous day when their vehicle struck a roadside bomb intended for Afghan National Security Forces patrolling the area. Also, that day, Afghan Local Police were attacked at a nearby checkpoint.

The detainees were turned over to the Chahar Darah Afghan National Police and National Directorate of Security. No shots were fired during the operation.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Much has happened in the lives of Americans since September 11, 2001, when we were attacked on our own soil.

There are many memorial sites and videos out there, each offering a fitting tribute to those people who died that day, to their families, to the survivors and to the brave men and women who turned towards the destruction to help, many of whom lost their lives also. i.e. 911 digital archive and this special page from my good friend Steve aka "Snakecharmer .

I would ask that people take time to stop and reflect on where this country would be today if not for those who ran into the buildings, towards the flames, towards the airplane cockpits, who deployed overseas seeking those who attacked us.

Remember also that we still have men and women who were there helping that day and for days afterwards that are still serving in our Armed Forces right this very minute.

The worst thing (in my mind) would be to forget those sacrifices that were made, those lives that were unexpectedly taken that day.

Please take a moment today to stop and honor those who gave their all, their families, members of our Armed Forces, our firefighters, EMT's, police officers and citizens who stepped up that day. Whether you choose to spend a moment in silence, offer a pray, hoist a drink to them, it matters not, just REMEMBER!!!!!

Friday, July 26, 2013

Pakistani security officials examine a crater caused by overnight suicide bombing in the southern city of Sukkur. on July 25, 2013.

Ayaz Gul VOA News July 25, 2013

ISLAMABAD — Taliban militants in Pakistan have claimed responsibility for Wednesday’s unprecedented suicide gun-and-bomb attack on a regional headquarters facility of the country’s main spy agency. Authorities say the raid and ensuing shootout left nine people, including five attackers, dead. The high-profile attack in an otherwise sleepy district has refueled criticism of Pakistan’s anti-terrorism campaign.

A day after the deadly attack in the Sukkur district in southern Sindh province, at least two commanders of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) contacted journalists to claim their fighters were behind the violence.

Thursday, July 25, 2013

ISLAMABAD — Pakistani officials say they cannot verify new casualty figures from drone strikes in a Pakistani government report that was leaked to a British media outlet this week. The report says as many as one fifth of those killed in CIA-directed drone attacks in the country's northwest were civilians.

The non-profit Bureau of Investigative Journalism says it obtained the Pakistani report from anonymous sources and published the full version on its website. The report which examines drone strikes in Pakistan's northwest tribal areas from 2006 to 2009 says that roughly one fifth of the 746 killed in the three-year period were civilians. The report also says Pakistan's government knew about about the high rate of civilian casualties from the attacks.

​

Source: Bureau of Investigative Journalism

Islamabad has never publicly revealed how many civilians or militants it calculates have died in the CIA-led drone program in the northwest Federally Administered Tribal Areas, or FATA. The area is home to the Afghan and Pakistan Taliban as well as other militant groups.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Aizaz Ahmed Choudhry says because of the remoteness of the tribal areas and local traditions

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

A Dutch court has blocked the extradition of a terror suspect to the United States, saying it has not been ruled out that the U.S. played a role in his alleged torture while he was detained Pakistan.

The man, identified as Sabir K., is accused of working with al-Qaida and planning a suicide attack on a U.S. military base in Afghanistan.

In its ruling Tuesday, the Hague Court of Appeals said the circumstances of Sabir K.'s arrest and detention "raise questions" about the U.S. role in his arrest.

The Dutch-Pakistani national was arrested in Pakistan in 2010 and he alleges that U.S. authorities were complicit in his torture by Pakistan's security services while in Pakistani custody. He was later deported to the Netherlands and has since fought to block his extradition to the United States.

Saturday, January 19, 2013

A Pakistani official says his country will release more Afghan Taliban combatants in order to boost the peace process in Afghanistan.

During a trip to the United Arab Emirates, Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani said the remaining detainees will be released “subsequently.”

He did not give a timetable.

Last month, Pakistan released eight Afghan Taliban prisoners, including former Afghan Justice Minister Mullah Nooruddin Turabi. At the time, Afghanistan said it hoped the release would encourage other Taliban to negotiate with the Afghan government.

That release came about a month after Pakistan freed nine Afghan Taliban prisoners.

Pakistan is still holding the terrorist group's former deputy leader, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar. He was captured in Pakistan in 2010. VoA.

The Obama Administration has pushed Afghanistan to pursue a "peace process," and Pakistan to release Taliban leaders. It has offered to set up offices for current Gitmo EPWs to "negotiate" the process.

Friday, January 11, 2013

Four separate bombings killed more than 110 people and wounded nearly 250 across Pakistan Thursday, including 92 deaths in Quetta.

Police in the capital of Baluchistan province say a suicide bomber blew himself up inside a crowded billiard hall, followed by a second bomber there minutes later. The twin blasts killed 81 people, including police and rescue workers. Police say most of the deaths came after the second blast caused the roof of the building to collapse.

At least two journalists were among those killed. The Committee to Protect Journalists says double bombings like the twin blasts are particularly hazardous for journalists as they are often the first on the scene and a target for bombers. The CPJ calls Pakistan one of the most dangerous places to be a journalist.

The billiard hall attacks came just hours after a bomb blast at the Quetta market killed 11 people. Authorities say paramilitary soldiers may have been the target.

The outlawed Sunni terrorist group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi contacted local media to claim responsibility.

Elsewhere in Pakistan Thursday, at least 21 people were killed and more than 70 wounded in a bombing in the city of Mingora, where a crowd had gathered to hear a speech by a religious leader. Mingora is the largest city in northwestern Pakistan's Swat province. VoA.

Tuesday, January 08, 2013

A Pakistani man pled not guilty Monday in an alleged al-Qaida plot to set off terrorist bombs in New York and Manchester, England.

Abid Naseer entered his plea in a U.S. federal court in Brooklyn, New York — where he was extradited from Britain last week. The judge ordered him to remain in jail at least until his next scheduled court appearance in March.

The European Court of Human Rights rejected Naseer's appeal against extradition to the United States. Naseer argued that he could wind up back in Pakistan, where he says he would be tortured.

Naseer is charged in separate plots to set off bombs in Manchester and in the New York City subway at the height of rush hour to maximize casualties.

A co-defendant, Adis Medunjanin, is already spending life in prison for his role. Naseer faces the same sentence if he is also convicted. VoA.

Thursday, January 03, 2013

Pakistani security officials say U.S. drone strikes in tribal regions bordering Afghanistan have killed at least eight people, including Maulvi Nazir, a top Taliban commander in South Warziristan.

Officials said Thursday that Nazir, who was also known as Mullah Nazir, was one of several suspected terrorists killed during a strike in the village of Angoor Adda, late Wednesday.

They say at least one one drone attack occurred in North Waziristan. Dawn News says three people were killed.

Nazir was the primary Taliban commander in South Waziristan. His terrorists reportedly have been more interested in attacking U.S.-led troops in Afghanistan than Pakistan's security forces. His faction is allied with other al-Qaida-linked terrorist groups.

Nazir had signed a peace accord with the Pakistani government in 2007. He was reported to have had a contentious relationship with the Pakistani Taliban, which has carried out attacks on Pakistani forces.

In November, Nazir was wounded in a suicide bombing that killed at least six people.

In November 2011, suspected U.S. drone strikes killed Nazir's deputy leader, Khan Mohammed, as well as a younger brother.

The U.S. drone strikes are unpopular in Pakistan.

Last year, President Barack Obama publicly acknowledged for the first time that the U.S. has conducted the strikes against terrorists in the country.

Mr. Obama defended the operations, saying they are used for “very precise, precision strikes” against al-Qaida but detractors note that they lack on the ground confirmation of the targets, and often strike homes where the terrorists wives and children reside. VoA.

Pakistan has released eight Afghan Taliban prisoners, including the "minister of justice" during the Taliban's rule of Afghanistan in the late 1990s.

The Foreign Ministry said in a statement Monday the prisoners were released “in order to further facilitate the Afghan reconciliation process.”

Pakistan said that among those released were former Taliban Justice Minister Mullah Nooruddin Turabi and former Helmand province Governor Abdul Bari, as well as two other former Taliban governors and another former Taliban government minister.

Turabi is said to be in poor health. The United Nations says he was appointed as a Taliban military commander in Afghanistan in mid-2009 and was a deputy to Taliban supreme leader Mullah Omar.

The spokesman for the Afghan Taliban also confirmed Turabi's release.

Meanwhile, a top Afghan peace negotiator says the government hopes to transform the Afghan Taliban into a political movement, and that all sides "realize a military solution to the conflict is not possible." Mohammad Masoom Stanekzai told Reuters he is cautiously optimistic about a possible reconciliation with the Taliban.

Last month, Pakistan released nine Afghan Taliban prisoners, but not the insurgent group's former deputy leader, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar. He was captured in Pakistan in 2010.

Support from Pakistan, which backed the Taliban regime is seen as crucial to Afghan reconciliation efforts as international forces complete their withdrawal from the war-torn country by the end of 2014.

The bodies were found off a road in the Pir Kili village of North Waziristan tribal agency. Officials said the terrorists were members of the Pakistani Taliban.

The discovery comes a day after 21 kidnapped tribal police officers were found dead. The police personnel were taken hostage by Islamists during attacks on checkpoints near the city of Peshawar last week. VoA.

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Police say at least three people were killed in a series of attacks in the port city of Karachi Tuesday and a fourth person died in a similar incident in the northwestern city of Peshawar. Several health workers were wounded.

Authorities say a fifth polio worker was shot and killed in Karachi Monday. Investigators say most of the attacks appear to have been carried out by gunmen on motorbikes.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but the attacks have taken place during a three-day nationwide anti-polio drive.

The Taliban has condemned previous polio campaigns as cover for spying.

The terrorist group began voicing opposition to the health program after a Pakistani doctor was imprisoned for helping U.S. intelligence agents run a fake hepatitis vaccination program aimed at locating then-fugitive al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden. Some terrorists also blame the vaccine itself for causing harm.

In July, armed men killed a Pakistani doctor working for the World Health Organization on a national immunization campaign.

The health minister of Sindhi province stopped the anti-polio drive in the Karachi region, on Tuesday, as a result of the shootings.

Meanwhile, officials say the death toll from a marketplace explosion in northwest Pakistan on Monday has risen to 21.

The car bombing attack occurred near government offices in the town of Jamrud, part of the Khyber tribal district. More than 40 people were wounded.

Khyber is home to various Islamist terrorist groups, including the Pakistani Taliban, which have waged a bloody insurgency against the government for several years. VoA.

The Islamist attacks on Polio health workers began after the White House leaked information on the role of a Pakistani Doctor in verifying the location of Osama bin Laden. The Doctor involved has since been convicted by Pakistan for that role, and sentenced to decades in prison. Numerous health officials have since been assassinated or targeted and hundreds of thousands of Pakistani children have been denied polio vaccinations, as a result of the Obama Administration leak.

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Security forces in northwestern Pakistan have killed a group of terrorists in Peshawar, a day after a Taliban raid on the city's airport.

Authorities say security forces stormed a building Sunday near the airport where five terrorists had taken refuge after the attack on the airport Saturday.

Officials say three terrorists were killed in a shootout with security forces Sunday, while the other two terrorists detonated their suicide vests.

Earlier, authorities said Saturday's terrorist attack on the airport left at least four civilians and five militants dead. Dozens of other people were wounded when the insurgents attacked Peshawar's international airport with rockets and explosives from a suicide bomber.

At least four people have been killed and dozens more wounded in northwest Pakistan, in a suicide attack on an international airport in Peshawar province.

A VOA reporter in Islamabad said the airport was hit Saturday by rockets as well as explosives from the suicide bomber.

The provincial minister said the terrorists, including the bomber, were involved in the failed ground attack that followed the rocket fire.

Local media, citing an Air Force official, said the attackers were prevented from entering the complex. All were later reported dead.

A spokesman for Pakistan's national airlines said the airport was closed and all outgoing flights were canceled.

A retired military official who spoke to VOA from the scene said the rocket fire landed inside the airport complex but caused no damage. He said the attack appeared to be the work of either the Taliban or Lashkar-e-Islam terrorists fighting to topple the regional government. VoA.

Thursday, December 13, 2012

An international rights group is blaming Pakistan's military and the Taliban for human rights abuses, including arbitrary detentions, torture and unlawful killings, in the northwestern tribal region.

In a report released Thursday, Amnesty International said millions of Pakistanis are affected by a “legal wilderness” in the region near the Afghan border.

The rights group said Pakistan's military is responsible for human rights abuses that include enforced disappearances and ill treatment of those in custody. The group says it has documented cases in which the bodies of individuals who had been arrested by the armed forces were returned to their families or reportedly dumped in tribal areas.

Amnesty International says the Taliban has been committing a “range of human rights abuses,” including capturing and killing soldiers and carrying out illegal “quasi-judicial proceedings” that fail to meet basic international standards for fair trials.

The London-based group says its findings are based on interviews that included victims, witnesses, Pakistani authorities and armed groups in the northwest region.

The group urged Pakistani authorities to take steps that include investigating reports of human rights violations and abuses involving both the Paki armed forces and the Taliban. The group has also called for legal reforms in tribal areas.

The U.S. has used drone strikes to target al-Qaida and Taliban-linked terrorists in the northwestern region.

The U.S. claims the strikes are a key tool in eliminating terrorists. However, Pakistan notes the strikes are a violation of its sovereignty. VoA.

Friday, December 07, 2012

Pakistani Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf expressed concern over U.S. drone strikes in his country during a meeting Thursday in Islamabad with U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Richard Olson.

The prime minister's office released a statement saying that in the meeting, Mr. Ashraf called the attacks counterproductive and urged alternative means to eliminate terrorists.

Mr. Ashraf's office said the U.S. ambassador noted the concern of Pakistan's government and people and promised to convey it to Washington.

Thursday's talks came as a suspected U.S. drone strike killed three reported terrorists in northwestern Pakistan near the Afghan border.

Pakistani intelligence officials say the drone fired two missiles into a house in Mubarak Shahi, located in the North Waziristan tribal area. North Waziristan is a stronghold of al-Qaida- and Taliban-linked terrorists.

Pakistan has repeatedly criticized U.S. drone attacks as a violation of the country's sovereignty, but American officials say the strikes are a key tool in defeating al-Qaida and Taliban-linked terrrorists.

During Thursday's meeting, Prime Minister Ashraf and Ambassador Olson also discussed ties between the United States and Pakistan. Mr. Ashraf said recent interactions between the two countries “have been very encouraging.”

Olson told the prime minister that the U.S. appreciates Pakistan's contributions to the fight against terrorism and wants a long-term relationship with Pakistan based on mutual respect and common interest.

Relations between the two countries were severely strained after Pakistan closed NATO supply routes into Afghanistan following U.S.-led coalition airstrikes that mistakenly killed 24 Pakistani troops near the Afghan border in November of 2011. The government reopened the supply lines in July. VoA.

Thursday, December 06, 2012

UPDATE: A pair of suicide bombers attacked an army camp in northwestern Pakistan Wednesday, killing at least three soldiers and wounding more than 20 others.

Security officials say the attackers rammed their vehicle packed with explosives into a gate at the camp in Wana, the main town in the South Waziristan tribal area.

South Waziristan is one of Pakistan's seven federally administered tribal agencies. The military has launched several offensives in the region targeting the Taliban and terrorists linked to al-Qaida who have strongholds in the porous border area.

U.S. drone strikes, which are unpopular in Pakistan, also regularly target terrorists in the region.

Last week, a suicide bombing in Wana wounded Maulvi Nazir, the main terrorist commander in South Waziristan.

Separately, the “Global Index on Terrorism 2012″ report released Tuesday ranked Pakistan the nation second most affected by terrorism in 2011, out of 158 countries.

The report put out by the Australia-based Institute for Economics and Peace says terrorist attacks in Pakistan last year killed nearly 1,500 people.

Thousands of Pakistanis have been killed in terrorist attacks since 2001, following the 9/11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington in 2001.

ORIGINAL: Two suicide bombers have attacked an army camp in northwestern Pakistan, killing at least two soldiers and wounding several others.

Pakistani security officials say the attackers Wednesday drove a vehicle packed with explosives into a gate at the camp in Wana, the main town in the South Waziristan tribal area.

South Waziristan is one of Pakistan's seven federally-administered tribal agencies. The military has launched several offensives in the region targeting al-Qaida- and Taliban-linked terrorists who have strongholds in the porous border area.

U.S. drone strikes, which are unpopular in Pakistan, also regularly target militants in the region.

Last week, a suicide bombing in Wana wounded Maulvi Nazir, the main militant commander in South Waziristan. VoA.

Thursday, November 29, 2012

UPDATE: A suicide bomber attacked a prominent terrorist commander in northwest Pakistan Thursday, wounding him and killing at least six people.

Officials say Maulvi Nazir was one of at least 12 people hurt in the Thursday's blast in Wana, the main town in the South Waziristan tribal agency.

Nazir is the main Islamist commander in South Waziristan, with terrorists who reportedly are more interested in attacking U.S.-led troops in neighboring Afghanistan than Pakistan's security forces.

The terrorist commander signed a peace accord with the Pakistani government in 2007 and is said to have a contentious relationship with the rival Pakistani Taliban, which has carried out attacks on Pakistani forces.

Nazir's faction is said to be allied with other al-Qaida-linked terrorist groups, including that of commander Hafiz Gul Bahadur.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Thursday's bombing.

Officials say the attacker detonated his explosives as Nazir got out of his vehicle in Wana, causing a huge blast.

Original: A suicide bomber in northwest Pakistan has wounded an Islamist Taliban commander and killed at least six people.

Officials say Maulvi Nazir was one of at least 12 people wounded in the blast Thursday in Wana, the main town in the South Waziristan tribal region.

He is the most prominent terrorist Taliban commander in South Waziristan, with fighters who support the Taliban in Afghanistan and are not hostile to Pakistani authorities.

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Officials in northwestern Pakistan say a bomb blast near a Shi'ite religious procession has killed at least five people.

Authorities say about 70 people were wounded in the explosion Sunday in Dera Ismail Khan, where an explosion Saturday also targeted Shi'ites. Seven people, including three children, were killed in Saturday's blast.

Police say the bomb that exploded Sunday had been planted in a shop.

The bombings come as Muslims observe the holy month of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar. Sunni extremists have targeted minority Shi'ites in the past during Muharram.

Authorities have tightened security across Pakistan to guard against possible attacks on Shi'ite gatherings during Muharram. Pakistan has temporarily suspended mobile phone service in major cities to prevent bombings, which are often triggered by cell phones. VoA.

Pakistani officials say a bomb blast near a minority Shi'ite religious procession has killed seven people, including at least three children, and wounded more than a dozen other people.

Authorities say the attack happened Saturday in the city of Dera Ismail Khan, located near the South Waziristan tribal region.

Pakistan has temporarily suspended mobile phone service in major cities to prevent such bombings, which are often triggered by cellular phones.

Authorities have tightened security across the country amid intelligence reports of possible attacks on Shi'ite gatherings during the holy month of Muharram.

Sunni Islamists have targeted Shi'ites in the past during Muharram, especially Ashoura, when Shi'ites commemorate the seventh century death of Iman Hussein, Muhammad's grandson. Ashoura falls on Sunday this year. VoA.

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Pakistani officials say a Taliban suicide bomber has killed 23 people near the capital, Islamabad.

Authorities said Thursday the bomber blew himself up at Shi'ite Muslim march in the city of Rawalpindi after police tried to stop him for a security check. The blast wounded at least 62 others, including several children.

Earlier Wednesday, a Taliban bombing near a Shi'ite mosque in Karachi killed at least one person.

A Taliban spokesman claimed responsibility for both attacks, saying the terrorist group was targeting Shi'ites because it believes they are “blasphemers.”

Shi'ite Muslims are celebrating the month of Muharram and on Saturday will observe the holiest day of the month, Ashura. The holy day commemorates the death of the Muhammad's grandson, Imam Hussein, in the seventh century, and they will cut their heads open. VoA.

India has executed the lone surviving gunman from a group of militants who killed 166 people in the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

Mohammed Ajmal Kasab was hanged Wednesday at a prison in Pune, near Mumbai.

The home minister in Maharashtra state, where Mumbai is located, said Wednesday that the execution is a tribute to those who lost their lives in the attack.

Kasab, who is a Pakistani national, was convicted in 2010 on charges of murder, terrorism and waging war against India. He initially pleaded not guilty, but later confessed to his involvement in the three-day siege.

He appealed his death sentence, but India's Supreme Court upheld the punishment and the country's president denied his mercy plea.

Kasab and nine other young, heavily-armed Pakistanis attacked luxury hotels, a Jewish center and a busy train station in India's financial capital.

India has blamed the Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba for the siege. It claims the attacks were carried out with state support from Pakistan — a charge Islamabad denies. VoA.

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

A Pakistani court has dismissed charges against a Christian girl accused of blasphemy in a case that drew international outrage.

The Islamabad High Court on Tuesday threw out the case against Rimsha Masih, whom neighbors accused of burning pages from the Quran in August.

She was arrested and spent three weeks in jail before being released on bail in September.

The girl's defense attorney, Abdul Hameed, said the judge decided to drop the case Tuesday due to a lack of evidence. Hameed said the judge concluded that the charges “were based on heresy and incriminated material that was planted in the girl's possession.”

Police have arrested a Muslim cleric on suspicion that he allegedly placed pages of the Quran in the girl's shopping bag.

The prosecution can appeal Tuesday's ruling to the Supreme Court.

Muslim-majority Pakistan has some of the world's toughest penalties against blasphemy. Anyone found guilty of "insulting Islam and the Prophet Mohammad" faces the death penalty.

Human rights activists say the blasphemy law in Pakistan is sometimes used to harass religious minorities.

Two prominent Pakistani politicians were killed in 2011 for speaking out against the country's blasphemy law.

There are varying reports of the girl's age, with some saying she is as young as 11 years. old. Others quote police who say she is 16.

The girl and her family are said to be living in an undisclosed location in Pakistan since her release on bail. VoA.

Friday, November 16, 2012

WASHINGTON, Nov. 15, 2012 - The commander of U.S. Special Operations Command said yesterday that a post-raid assessment concluded there is no evidence that the Pakistani government knew the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden.

Navy Adm. William H. McRaven, right, commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, talks with PBS' Charlie Rose about the raid that led to the death of Osama bin Laden. Rose interviewed McRaven during the Hero Summit in Washington, D.C., Nov. 14, 2012. DOD photo by Claudette Roulo

Navy Adm. William H. McRaven told attendees at the "Hero Summit" that Pakistan wasn't informed of the raid that led to the death of bin Laden because the initial assumption was "How could they not know he was there?"

Senior leaders, he said, believed informing Pakistan about the raid in advance would have put the mission at risk. McRaven said he doesn't believe the Pakistani government knew bin Laden's whereabouts. "We have no intelligence that indicates the Pakistanis knew he was there," he added.

McRaven, interviewed on stage by PBS' Charlie Rose, said there was never a moment he doubted the raid would succeed. "We hand-picked the guys," he said. "They were the best of the best, all across the board. They had extensive combat experience, and consequently ... I was very confident."

Though bin Laden is dead, nonstate actors still present a threat, the admiral said.

"We've done a terrific job of taking care of the core of al- Qaida," McRaven said. But, he added, "there's no such thing as a local problem anymore. ... Everything in the world is connected." This interconnectedness means the future of special operations lies in partnerships with other nations, he added.

"We understand ... to minimize the rise of violent extremism, you have to create the conditions on the ground where people have good jobs, where there is the rule of law, where there is stability [and] where there is good governance," he said. "We think, from a military standpoint, we can certainly help with the security that will be required to help begin to build some of that stability.

"The raids get all the media attention," he continued, "but the reality of the matter is the bulk of what we do is building partner capacity and working with host nations. I think that's the future of special operations."

The admiral said he recently returned from Afghanistan, where partnership building is ongoing, and he feels the relationship is the best he's ever seen it. The relationship between Afghans and their local, regional and national governments is taking serious root, he said.

Afghanistan will be a better version of itself in 2014, McRaven said, noting that the Afghan army is one of the most respected institutions in the country.

"It's an entirely different paradigm for the people of Afghanistan, but I'm convinced we're on the right path," he said.

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Pakistan has agreed to release some Afghan Taliban prisoners, amid talks with members of Afghanistan's High Peace Council about the country's reconciliation efforts.

Afghanistan has long sought access to the prisoners to aid the stalled peace process.

It was not clear how many or which prisoners would be involved in the release.

The head of the peace council, Salahuddin Rabbani, is in Pakistan for talks with top officials, including President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf and army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani.

Mr. Ashraf told the Afghan delegation there is consensus that both countries should work together for peace in the region.

President Zardari pledged to support Afghanistan's peace efforts, and said having a peaceful, stable Afghanistan is important for Pakistan's own stability and prosperity. VoA.

Pakistani police say two people were killed and 10 wounded when a bomb planted on a bicycle exploded in southwestern Pakistan.

The device exploded on a road near Quetta, the capital of restive Baluchistan province, as a military convoy passed by. Some of the people injured were paramilitary soldiers. Vehicles were also damaged in the blast.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

Baluchistan has been the scene of Islamist violence, terrorist attacks and unrest linked to a low-level insurgency. Baluch rebels have been fighting for political autonomy and a greater share of the province's natural resources. VoA.

Wednesday, November 07, 2012

Police officer Asif Iqbal told reporters Wednesday that the bomber, apparently on foot, lobbed some six or seven kilograms of explosive at the vehicle of senior investigator Hilal Hyder, killing Hyder and several of his companions in a crowded market.

More than 30 people were injured, some of them critically, and reports say destruction to buildings and vehicles was widespread.

The Taliban has claimed responsibility. A spokesman told the Associated Press that Hyder was targeted because he had been behind the arrest of several Taliban fighters. VoA.

Buner district is believed to be a hiding place for the Pakistani Taliban. It borders the the Swat Valley, where Taliban gunmen last month seriously wounded a 14-year-old girl who spoke out against the militant group and in favor of education for women. VoA.

Saturday, November 03, 2012

Officials in southwest Pakistan say at least 18 people have been killed after gunmen opened fire on a passenger van at a fuel station, triggering a massive fire.

The vehicle was stopped in the Khuzdar district of Baluchistan province Friday, when gunmen on motorcycles shot and killed the driver and then fled. The gunfire sparked a blaze that engulfed the van and nearby shops.

Local administrator Abdul Mansoor Kakar told VOA Urdu Service at least five women and three children were among the 11 bodies that have so far been identified. He said the rest of the bodies were burned beyond recognition.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. Baluchistan has been the scene of sectarian violence, militant attacks and unrest linked to a low-level insurgency.

Baluch rebels have been fighting for political autonomy and a greater share of the province's natural resources. VoA.

Friday, October 26, 2012

The family of the 15-year-old Pakistani girl shot by the Taliban has visited her in the British hospital where she is being treated for her injuries.

Family members of Malala Yousufzai flew from Pakistan to Britain Thursday and went to see her at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.

Her father, Ziauddin Yousafzai, told reporters Friday that Malala is recovering at “encouraging speed and we are very happy.”

The day before, Yousafzai said his daughter will return home to Pakistan after her medical treatment. They were his first public comments since the October 9 shooting of Malala in Pakistan's northwestern Swat Valley.

Taliban gunmen shot the teenage girl in the head and neck as she left school. She was internationally recognized for documenting Taliban atrocities in the area near her home and for promoting women's education.

She has been in critical condition since the shooting.

Pakistan's government is paying for all expenses related to her recovery and has pledged to protect her once she returns. Queen Elizabeth is renowned for its expertise in dealing with her types of injuries. She has been treated there for nearly two weeks.

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Ace Of Spades: Why Language MattersIn this article, Ace of Spades demonstrates how the writing style of "journalists" and other writers is purposely used to influence the electorate. He explains this far better than I have been able to do, but this is the foundation of why I could no longer be silent.